A Tale of Two Time Travelers
by slothboy
Summary: Story that inserts the reader into the universe of Overwatch. You are chosen by Overwatch to test the Slipstream with Lena Oxton. I do not wish to spoil the story, but it will focus on the TracerxReader pairing and the progression of their relationship along with their careers in Overwatch. Rated M for likely sexual content. Inspired by "Keep Calm and Tracer On" and "Cheers Love"
1. Chapter 1: Caught in the Slipstream

**Chapter 1: Caught in the Slipstream**

"This heat is unbearable," you mutter under your breath as you wipe a single bead of sweat away from your brow. Perhaps the sweat could be attributed to your nerves rather than the ambient temperature. Somewhere along the line, you developed the habit of talking to yourself whenever anxiety crept up on you.

You sat in solitude inside of the autopiloted MV-261 Orca. Despite travelling at supersonic speed, the jet turbines were inaudible from inside the fuselage. This phenomenon fascinated you, as it was the polar-opposite of the jets that you had become accustomed to from your short time in the Air Force. Something about this small, but noticeable, change began to drive your anxiety from a creep to a sprint. It was only a few months ago that you had been handpicked by Overwatch to take part in the trials of their revolutionary jet, Slipstream, which could apparently move seamlessly through time and space in short intervals. You were chosen because you were the most lethal gunner in the Air Force, and Overwatch only recruited the most capable individuals to join their cause. However, your credentials and qualifications did not help suppress your stressful thoughts.

"Unfortunate that Aiden couldn't come," you say before realizing that you are once again trying to battle your nerves by breaking the silence with words directed to nobody.

Aiden was your pilot and best friend. However, you were informed by Overwatch officials that you would be testing Slipstream with a British pilot, Lena Oxton. Apparently, she was best pilot the Royal Air Force had to offer.

"Now arriving at Watchpoint Gibraltar. Local time is 18:54" said a voice that did not belong to you.

Startled, you jump in your seat. Damn your nervousness.

"Thank you, Athena," you quickly spat out before getting up from your seat to look out the hull window.

The Watchpoint was massive. You heard scuttlebutt around your old base of the impressive facilities that Overwatch maintained, but they had not done any justice for the military campus that sprawled before you.

The base was built into the cliffs dangling above the ever-blue ocean. The waves crashed high onto the rock, but stood no chance to reaching the facility's ground level, which was bustling with troops and moving hovercrafts. The buildings were large and numerous, which made the military facility seem more like (Your City) than a base. One glass building, or skyscraper, on the very edge of the cliff caught your eye. The famous Overwatch insignia was glowing bright on top of the tower, replacing the dying light of the sun over the horizon. You didn't know it yet, but that was the agent dormitory.

The MV-261 landed as silently as it flew. You were so caught up in the aesthetics of the base that it took the doors of the aircraft opening for you to realize that you were on solid ground. You grabbed your bags and slowly walked down the ramp to the landing pad.

"Greetings, (Your Name). My name is Winston. Welcome to Gibraltar," said a large gorilla in spectacles that were much too small for his face. You would have never guessed that the gorilla's voice would sound as it did.

"Hello there, Winston. This place is gigantic," you said with a hearty, but anxious, laugh. You silently cursed yourself for not being able to hide your emotions better. Luckily, the gorilla scientist did not seem to take notice.

Winston let out a very orchestrated business laugh and said, "Every new recruit, trooper, and staff member says that. I am sure the Watchpoint is very different than the bases you're used to in the Air Force."

He was right, but you couldn't help but feel slightly offended by his comment. The Air Force facilities back home were not as extravagant, but they were functional and nice enough. You began to think of your time at your old base with Aiden and your other friends. For a brief moment, you found yourself missing home. Not home, the old Air Force base. This was home now.

"Ha… Yeah I suppose so," you said avoiding eye contact as best you could.

Winston noticed your discomfort and immediately changed the subject, "Let's not waste any more time. I will accompany you to your quarters."

The gorilla waved in his direction as he turned around and walked on all four legs toward the elevated walkway. You followed him as he navigated through the catwalks toward the building that caught your eye earlier, which seemed even more massive now that you were up close. The luminescent Overwatch logo grew even brighter as the sun continued to retreat into the ocean.

"This way, (Your Name)," said Winston as he adjusted his glasses and pointed toward the entrance of the dormitory.

You walked ahead of Winston into the lobby and immediately looked up at the ceiling that must have been 40 feet high. It seemed more like a five-star hotel than a military barracks.

"What in the hell is this place?" you ask rhetorically. Your mouth stood agape and a sense of wonder was prevalent on your face. Not wanting to seem awestruck, you quickly regain your composure and make eye contact with Winston.

"I didn't realize the Ritz-Carlton opened up a location in Gibraltar," you said with an ever so slight smirk.

Winston laughed aloud genuinely. His organic laugh was a lot more pleasant than his business laugh, and it put you at ease.

"Just wait until you see the room," the gorilla said whilst making his way toward the oversize elevator, beckoning you to follow.

Winston used a holographic tool projected from his body suit to select the 19th floor, and the elevator began to make its quick ascent. You internally wished that your dorm was a few floors higher, but you wouldn't dare say anything aloud.

Your thoughts were interrupted when the elevator doors opened a little too suddenly for your liking. The open doors revealed a large hall way adorned with the classic Overwatch blue, orange, and white color scheme. The side of the hall opposite of you was completely made of glass and overlooked the sprawling behemoth of a military base.

The gorilla scientist led you down the hall 1903, one of six rooms on the floor.

Winston opened the door using his holographic tool once again. "After you," he said extending his right arm toward the entrance.

"That master key you got there is slightly unsettling. I am going to have to install a deadlock," you jokingly said as you walked through the doorway.

Your jaw dropped at the sight of your quarters.

The entire apartment must have been 2000 square feet, much bigger than the quarters of even the highest ranking official at your old base. Hell, the kitchen itself was bigger than your old living space. You turned to your left and saw a lounge area complete with an oversized L-shaped couch, coffee table, and 70" TV. Behind the space was a sizable patio that overlooked the ocean, which had now completely swallowed the sun leaving behind a faint pink afterglow. To your right was a set of stairs that circled around and up the room toward a mezzanine, which you assumed led to your bedroom. To top it all off, the entire outer wall of the space was made of glass to give a clear view of the ocean from any position within the apartment.

"What in the…" you say as you attempt to once again hide your awe.

"I'm pleased that you like it," Winston said with a smile whilst handing you a small device to be worn on your wrist.

"What is this?" you ask with an eyebrow slightly raised.

"That is your connection to Athena. She will keep records for you, remind you of your scheduled appointments, and help you navigate through the Watchpoint," Winston said as he turned toward the exit.

"You better get some rest, you have a big day tomorrow. Athena, be sure to remind (Your Name) that he must be in the hanger bay at 9:00 tomorrow to begin the Slipstream trials," Winston said as he maintained eye contact with you.

"I'll be there," you said matter-of-factly. Your nerves had finally settled down enough for you to be able to display your usual confidence. After all, you were the best gunner in your home country's Air Force, possibly the world.

With the sudden boost of confidence, you decided to head up the stairs to your room so that you could put an end to the longest day you've had in a while.

Tomorrow was the beginning of the next step of your career.

* * *

"Good morning Mr. (Your Last Name). You asked me to wake you up at 7:30," Athena said in her softest voice that the female AI could muster.

You wiped your eyes and rolled on your side, giving you a view toward the tinted window. Athena began to slowly deactivate the window tint until the window was fully transparent once again. The sunset last night was beautiful, but this sunrise was breathtaking. It was almost as if the triumphant emergence of the sun metaphorically symbolized your first day as an Overwatch gunner agent.

You quickly, at least by morning standards, sprung out of your king-sized bed and into your walk-in shower to bring yourself to life. Normally, you would use your time in the shower to reflect, but today was different. There would be no reflection today, only preparation. Today you would move forward. Only forward.

You donned your tight blue flight suit and made your way out of your room in a rush.

You pressed the button to call the elevator before looking down to your wrist device, which showed a time of 8:15. Plenty of time to navigate your way to the hanger.

The sound of the elevator arriving on the 19th floor made you look up from your wrist device. The doors opened to reveal a beautiful brunette cadet, wearing a tight flight suit similar to yours. Her hair was spiky and unkempt, but somehow it fit her face perfectly. Her bangs were swept off to the right side of her face, covering one eyebrow and casting a shadow over one eye. She had previously been looking her wrist device as well, but now her big amber-brown eyes were fixed on your (Your Eye Color) ones.

Somehow you managed to keep your mouth from going agape like it had with just about every sight you've seen since you arrived in Gibraltar. Why did everything here have to be stunningly beautiful? More importantly, why couldn't you internalize your emotions better? Most likely because you were undergoing a massive life change.

"Hello, love. The name is Lena. Lena Oxton," the bubbly brunette said as she extended her hand toward yours.

It only took you a moment to react, but the moment was clearly noticeable to both parties.

"Ah, so you're the phenom pilot that I've heard so much about," you said finally accepting her hand in a firm, but friendly, shake.

You were surprised Lena was so young. She looked even younger than you, and you were the one normally heralded as the "Young Gunner" back in the Air Force. She couldn't have been a day over 21.

"Oh, my name is (Your Full Name)," you quickly said remembering that you had left out that important detail.

She giggled softly before saying, "Nice to meet you, (Your Name)."

"I've been looking forward to working with the so-called ' _Young Gunner_ '," she said with a smile on her face, making certain to give her best American accent when saying your old nickname.

You put one hand behind your neck and broke eye contact with the Brit. The name held a lot of weight back in the states, but it sounded silly coming from her.

"Oh buck up, love. I'm only foolin'," she said with yet another smile as she nudged you with her shoulder.

"At least my reputation precedes me. To be honest, I have been dreading working with you, Lena," you said jokingly back at her.

The banter between you two continued all the way to hanger, which is quite a feat considering the distance between the dormitory and the hanger. It was unlike you to act so casual toward new squad members, but Lena was easy to be yourself around.

The hanger was built into the cliffside. It had three exits, but only one big enough to fly a jet through. The jet exit faced out of the cliff toward the ocean, and it had retractable doors that were shielded with rock similar to that of the cliff, which hid the hanger completely when they were closed. To you, it seemed like the kind of hanger a super-villain would incorporate in the design of his super-secret lair.

Upon entering the hanger, you two were greeted by a team of engineers along with Winston and a few seemingly high-ranking Overwatch officials.

"Ah, great to see the duo arriving early to Day One of the trials," Winston said in his usual cheery voice.

Winston turned toward the officials, "Let me introduce your commanding officers. They will be overseeing the trials." Winston stuck a hand in the general direction of the leftmost officer. "This is Strike Commander Jack Morrison."

Jack Morrison was built much like you. He was tall, muscular, and had a strong jaw line; he looked exactly like Hollywood's interpretation of a military hero. His blonde hair was unkempt, but other than that he seemed to be the archetypal male protagonist, almost to the point where he seemed like a boring cookie-cutter action hero.

Jack adjusted his eye piece and looked directly at the duo with a subtle half smile. "Glad to have you two."

Either Jack was a man of few words, or he was ready to skip formalities and get on with the trials. Maybe both.

Winston felt the awkward silence that followed and quickly moved on, "This is the Head of Blackwatch, Gabriel Reyes."

Gabriel was also built like a Hollywood hero, but less so than Jack. Although all the officials wore a similar style uniform, Gabriel's was all black. It was almost refreshing to see some color other than the typical Overwatch color scheme.

Gabriel's stoic expression did not change at the mention of his name and title. He merely said, "Let's get this show on the road."

Apparently, Gabriel and Jack had more than just body build in common.

Shocked by both short introductions, Winston coughed and pointed at the last commanding officer. "And _finally_ ," Winston emphasized the irony of what he just said by pausing his sentence, "this is Second-in-Command Ana Amari."

The Egyptian woman raised her hand in a casual salute to the duo and said, "I have heard a lot about both of your skill sets. I am excited to see you both in action. My two colleagues may not show it very well, but we all have been on edge waiting to see how you handle the Slipstream. We are not sure what to expect of the results, but you two are the cream of the crop."

You and Lena share a quick glance at each other. You both seemed a little uneasy of her mention about the unexpected results. Even though you both previously knew that there was an element of danger that came with pioneering untested technology, the gravity of the situation just donned on the both of you.

Noticing the duo's hesitation, Winston spoke up, "My team of engineers and I have spent months developing the Slipstream. Non-human trials went without a hitch, and we have no reason to believe these trials will go otherwise. Now if the officers would excuse us, we have work to do. I will meet with you three up in the observation deck after I get Lena and (Your Name) settled in."

Winston put a hand on both of shoulders and gently pushed you two further into the cavernous hanger. You and Lena took this as a hint to lead the way toward the jet that sat toward the cliff side exit of the hanger.

Not surprisingly, the Slipstream looked way more advanced than any jet you flew previously. It was slightly smaller than the F-50 Sonic, the current staple of the U.S. Air Force, but it appeared to have much more firepower. The fuselage was sleek and slim, and the wings on either side of the jet attached along the entire length of the main body. Behind the main body, two jet engines were glowing blue under pre-flight checks.

"Impressive, isn't she?" Winston said with a smirk. "My team and I have dedicated the better part of 5 years designing and building her."

"No fucking kidding…" Lena said with a childlike wonder gleam in her eye as she ran toward the jet.

"Now this takes the cake. Everything else about this base has been amazing, but this is something else," you say as you run both of your hands through your hair and slowly make your way in Lena's trail.

"I am going up to the observation deck, and I will be on the comm when we are ready to start the test," said the gorilla with a wave. "Best of luck."

By the time you had reached the Slipstream, Lena had already opened the canopy and gotten inside the cockpit.

"What the bloody hell is this?" you heard the Brit say. "I have to lay in here while you get a nice cozy seat?"

The Slipstream's sleek model came at a cost. To fit spaces for both the pilot and gunner, the pilot had to lay down below the gunner seat to fly the jet. For practically reasons, the gunner could not be the one to lay down as he would need to be able to rotate 360 degrees to fire from all angles.

" _Bloody hell_ , do they not know who you are? You're Lena Oxton aka… Oh… Wait that's right you weren't given a nickname," you said mockingly, making certain to use an overly British accent for the first two words.

"This is rubbish," the young Brit went on choosing to ignore your comment.

"Just get in the plane, Oxton."

She gave you a very sarcastic salute. "Aye aye, (Your Last Name)."

With that exchange, you both climbed into your respective positions, equipped your flight helmets, and awaited the comm check in silence.

There it was again. The silence. Your stomach started to turn. The anxiety was creeping back as you started to realize what you were about to do. You wanted badly to break the silence to help alleviate your nervousness, but you didn't want to seem tense in front of Lena. The one thing that brought you comfort was that the usually loud Lena was dead silent, which you assumed to have meant that she was also tense.

After what seemed like an eternity, Winston's voice burst through the comm. "How is the dynamic duo out there?"

"Ready to roll," Lena said playfully, but also with confidence.

So much for your one item of comfort.

"The control scheme is fairly intuitive. First, we would like you to fire up the twin engines and fly around over the water. Then, we will test both the 'blinking' and 'recall' features. Finally, we will test all weapon systems. Got it?"

"Roger," said both you and Lena in unison.

"Jinx you owe me a fizzy drink," she said almost immediately after temporarily disabling her comm.

You rolled your eyes, but you did find her childlike humor endearing.

"Fizzy what? Just fly the damn plane, Oxton," you said trying, but failing, to hold back your laughter.

"You got it," Lena said as she fired up both engines and engaged the thrusters.

The Slipstream had quite a bit of "get up." The acceleration to flight speed was much quicker than any other jet you or Lena had been in. After bracing from the initial jolt, you both regained your bearings and got into business mode.

"Flight is go, awaiting clearance for blink test" the Brit said into the comm.

"You're all clear, Slipstream," said Jack over the comm.

Lena looked up at you over her shoulder with her amber-brown eyes. "Ready, (Your Name)?"

Somehow you feigned enough confidence to flash your teeth at her in a smirk. "Do it."

Lena abruptly shoved the joystick right and held the rightmost button on the stick, causing the Slipstream to blink right at a 45-degree angle. It felt as if your heart skipped a beat, or as if you forgot to breathe for a few seconds. Because of your body's momentum, you were jolted backwards immediately after the blink. Other than slight discomfort, you would say that the blink was a success.

Lena laughed loudly and yelled, "Wicked!"

You began to laugh along with her before being cut off by an unexpected blink. And then another. And then another. You thought for a moment that you were going to be sick, but luckily the Slipstream's drive core needed time to recharge before making another slip through time. You focused on the horizon to alleviate your stomach discomfort. The past couple years of flying had taught you that old trick.

"Careful now, Lena. Let's not overdo it," Winston said over the comm.

The gorilla scientist tried to come off as a stern manager, but his voice clearly indicated that he was just as excited as both you and Lena. You could hear cheers in the background of the comm coming from the other engineers and officials in the observation deck.

"Now let's try the 'recall' function," Winston said recomposing himself. You imagine he probably readjusted his glasses at that very moment.

The excitement settled down in the observation deck, and once again all eyes were on the Slipstream. However, it was clear to see that the deck was still very excited about the initial results.

Gaining confidence in your pilot, you say, "Give them what they want, Lena."

She once again looked over your shoulder and winked before pressing the leftmost button on her joystick.

The Slipstream vanished from sight of the observation deck. Nearly everyone in the room held their breath awaiting the jet's return to the present.

* * *

This is my first fanfiction I have ever done, so any constructive feedback is appreciated. Let me know if you are interested in more content in this story. If there is interest, I will try my best to pump out quality work in a timely manner.

Also, any suggestions on what you like/don't like about the YOUR character or your character's relationship with the other characters is also appreciated. I want to try to make this story feel as immersive as possible, and I will try to do so by personalizing the character as much as possible.


	2. Chapter 2: Dissociation

**Chapter 2: Dissociation**

 **Review Comments:**

Overwatch Fan: It seems something was a tad lost in translation. I meant that the reader exists in the Overwatch universe, not that they had been teleported to it. My mistake. Also, I will try to tone down on the "niceness" of Overwatch.

Shy-Guyome: I am sorry! I figured most of the readers would be from the US, and it was short-sighted of me to make it about the US Air Force. I will try to keep the mention of the origin country to a minimum.

* * *

Everything was blue.

The image of the winking brunette looking over her shoulder burned into your memory.

Suddenly, your world came back into view. Relieved, you looked down once again at the brunette before observing your surroundings outside of the canopy. The Slipstream had reversed time locally, and now you, Lena, and the jet sat inside the cavernous hanger once more.

Utterly confused, Lena turned around to give you a quizzical look by arching one of her perfectly shaped eyebrows. As she fiddled around with her two piercings on the back of her left ear, her facial expression returned to one of understanding from one of questioning as the situation began to sink in. She quickly flashed that smile of hers towards you.

"Ta-da," yelled out the brunette as if she had just performed a magic trick. Perhaps it was magic.

"Oh, _bang up_ job, Oxton. Now we have to go through pre-flight checks again before continuing the trial run," you jokingly say as you throw your hands up into the air, feigning aggravation. It was difficult to convey sarcasm in your flight helmet due to its slight obstruction of your voice, but you hoped your over exaggerated body language would not be lost on the Brit.

"Well don't blame me, I am just clicking buttons. Still impressive though, yeah?" she asked with an innocent look on her face. Even though you two were merely fooling around with one another, her blameless expression made your heart ache. How could anyone ever be agitated with this woman?

"Well… Your button-clicking ability is clearly unrivaled by any other pilot on the planet, Lena," you say with a grin, that is hidden by your mask, as you place your left hand onto the shoulder that she was looking over.

For a moment, you two locked gazes in silence. Your hand on her shoulder gave you an electrifying sensation that ran from the tips of your fingers on your hand to hairs on that back of your neck. Unbeknownst to you, Lena felt the exact same invigorating sensation. In that brief period, you two were enthralled with one another.

Not wanting to come off too infatuated, you removed your hand and placed two fingers on your comm mic. "This is Slipstream, recall successful," you professionally declare into the comm.

After not receiving a response from your commanding officers, Lena adjusted her comm mic and asked, "Slipstream here, O-Deck do you copy?"

The two of you waited another minute or so before shrugging off the issue as a technical comm error. Perhaps the comms were not suitable to survive the Slipstream's recall capability. Luckily, these trials were meant to identify key errors such as this one.

You silently thought to yourself, ' _A comm error during the trial was a mild annoyance, but it could be a death sentence on the battlefield.'_

Unfortunately, you had experienced this first hand with Aiden back in the Air Force. Less than one year ago, you and Aiden were involved a single plane, covert mission that targeted an operations base of a large terrorist group in Northern Africa. The mission required the two of you to provide reconnaissance for a ground team infiltrating the facility. Little to the team's knowledge, the terrorist organization had rigged the entire facility with radio jamming devices. Unable to communicate with you and Aiden, the ground team stood no chance against the overwhelming opposition once inside the facility. Although there was nothing you or Aiden could have done to ensure the success of the mission, you both considered it your biggest failure. The names and faces of the fallen still stick with you to this day.

You promised yourself that there would be no reflection today. Forward.

"Whatcha lookin' at?" Lena said with a teasing smile.

While in thought, you had been watching the back of Lena's hand with a thousand-yard stare.

"Wha… nothing. Sorry, just thinking to myself. We better get up the observation deck to report the malfunction," you say as you brush off the situation and open the canopy of the jet for the brunette.

"Race ya!" the girl yelled as she stood up out of the cockpit, taking advantage of your polite act.

Not to be outdone, you quickly grab her by the arm and use her as leverage to pull yourself out before her, knocking her back into your seat.

Her explosion was not worth the cheap head-start.

The tiny brunette erupted out of the cockpit with vengeance, blowing past any staff member or robot in pursuit of her perpetrator. Her adrenaline must have spiked, at least that is the excuse you came up with after she caught you and unleashed her fury. You did not have the pleasure of witnessing it, but Lena's dive into you was like a cheetah's final pounce onto her gazelle prey. She made the analogy all too real when she dug her teeth into the side of your neck, jolting a primal scream from your throat, knocking both of your helmets off in the act.

Oddly enough, nobody seemed fazed by the scene you two made.

Instinctively, you put the Brit in a headlock and placed your free hand on the teeth marks she left behind. She had drawn blood. Nobody makes (Your Name) bleed his own blood.

Back in the Air Force, your next move would have been a stern "titty-twister," as your squad referred to them. However, that seemed mildly inappropriate given the gender of your pilot. You settled for a "knuckle sandwich," which had no apparent effect on Lena's already disheveled hair.

"Alright... ALRIGHT ALREADY!" she yelled in the most menacing tone that she could muster. It would have been slightly more threatening if her voice had not cracked.

Accepting her surrender, you let Lena out of your death grip, only to be betrayed by the Brit. She took your moment of weakness to slam an elbow into your stomach, making you double over. By the time you regained control of your breath and looked up, Lena was out-of-sight.

Then it occurred to you.

Neither you nor Lena knew where the hell the observation deck was.

Thinking on your feet, you direct your sight down to your wrist device and ask, "Athena, what is the fastest way to get to the O-Deck?"

Sure enough, Lena had taken a path in the opposite direction of the observation deck. You were only able to track her route during your fit of breathlessness by listening to the brunette giggle all the way out of the hanger. She thought she was so clever.

You reached the elevator to the observation deck not more than ten seconds before Lena, but you made sure to make it seem like you had been waiting for an hour.

"Oh, _there_ you are," you roll your eyes as you give a fake yawn to tease her. It was difficult to hide that you were short of breath from running.

"Beating a lost girl? A real corker you are, (Your Name). Glad to see you're still walking after that pummeling I gave you."

As she passed you into the elevator, she made sure to flip her hair in front of your face.

"Oh, and thank you for styling my hair for me, love," she said with a smirk as she used the keypad to order the elevator to your destination. Despite you winning the race, she had a way of making it not seem like much of a victory.

"It's fine. I know you're not used to _coming_ second," you add with emphasis to highlight your double meaning of her slowness as well as her sexual hair trigger. You obviously had no clue if that was even true, but you seized the opportunity.

As soon as you realized what just came out of your mouth, you froze.

What in the fuck were you thinking?

Your dirty pun humor was unmatched by any pilot, gunner, or engineer back home, but why in the world would you let something like that slip out in mixed company. Especially to your newly assigned _female_ pilot.

Lena turned to you slowly with her eyes wide and mouth agape.

What had you done?

To your surprise, Lena doubled over laughing like a teenage boy would at your stupid humor.

"You wish, love," her words laboring through laughter. She was right, you wished you knew.

Thankfully, the elevator had reached the top floor, and the doors opened to reveal mass hysteria in the observation deck. Officials were bouncing off the ceiling, engineers were pacing the floor, and interns were hiding in the corner.

' _Little do they know that they are freaking out over a simple comm issue,'_ you thought to yourself with certainty.

Commander Morrison was livid. "I thought this issue had been sorted out in non-human trials, Winston. What in the hell happened? You assured me the Slipstream was ready, and now the blood of two recruits on your hands," he screamed with flames in his eyes.

"The UN threw a fit about our new dormitory, just image what will happen now. We should go ahead and begin planning our fire sale, because there is no way our funding is going to be renewed next year," Gabriel said as he inappropriately began to shrug off the situation. His comments earned him a disapproving look from Ana as the Egyptian took her leave from the observation deck.

The gorilla scientist could not even bear to look in the direction of the officials. He had spent years of his life perfecting the technology behind the Slipstream, and now he was no better than a murderer in the eyes of his superiors.

The situation took you and Lena back. "Now that is a mite over-the-top fellas? We are right here," the Brit came to Winston's rescue.

Nobody acknowledged her words.

Winston's raised his head up with vigor, and he said with a stern voice unlike his own, "My team and I have a lot of work and research to do on the situation. We will have a full report for you by this evening. Gentlemen." Now that is how you expected a gorilla scientist to sound.

Winston motioned towards the door to the skywalk that Ana had left through earlier. Sharing a disapproving expression with each other, the two ranking officers beckoned the other officials and took their leave.

"What was that all about? The Slipstream is fine. We are fine, guys," you say as you turn your hands up and raise them slightly by your sides in a questioning manner.

Again, the words fell on deaf ears.

Neither you nor Lena knew it at that moment, but both of your efforts to communicate with the team were futile as you two were unanchored in time. The Slipstream successfully recalled local time into the past, but it was unsuccessful in returning you. No matter how loudly either of you screamed for attention, your words were delivered in audible whispers in the past and future, never the present.

Lena's usual care-free expression began to slowly fade from her face. "Why aren't they acknowledging us, (Your Name)?"

The answer was lost on you. It was as if you two were ghosts.

"Winston, we are right here," Lena said as she approached the gorilla. Her terrified expression was ever-growing. "Winston, we are _right here_!"

Out of frustration, she used both arms to push Winston. However, her hands phased through her target, making her stumble over herself slightly.

You will never forget the terror that came over her eyes. Yet, you felt nothing.

It was a weird feeling, inexplicably so. It was as if you were impartial to the situation at hand. As if you were watching a scene of a film. As if you were a part of a world other than hers.

She looked at you, horrified expression fastened to her face. Your lack of emotional response did not help to alleviate the pain of her world crashing down upon her.

Fearing the worst, she extended her hand out and approached you with caution. Was she alone?

Her hand gently contacted your cheek, and she let out a sigh of relief before throwing both arms around your neck in a desperate attempt to keep you anchored with her during this crisis.

The gravity of the situation began to dawn on you as you wrapped your arms tightly around her waist, returning her embrace. Was this really happening? Was there really no going back?

The team of engineers, Winston including, continued you shuffle around you in a panic.

Struggling between muffled sobs into your shoulder, she choked out her questions. "Why aren't they acknowledging us, (Your Name)? How did this happen, (Your Name)? Why did this happen?"

As much as you wanted to cry, you did not. You couldn't cry. You had to be strong, for her sanity and yours.

You looked down at her without an answer. Perhaps it was best to let her cry her way to acceptance.

"Can we… can we get out of here?" The Brit was delicate in her question. She wanted to get away from the hysteria, and you wanted out as well.

"Yes… Yes, we can. The tension in this room isn't helping either of us," you answer before you make a move toward the exit without breaking contact with Lena.

Neither of you wanted to let go as you both knew that you only had each other.

* * *

Minutes turned into hours.

Hours turned into days.

You two were inseparable the entire time.

When sleep called, you went to the same room. Although both of you would normally be alone during the night, solitude seemed a little more frightening now that you two were alone in this new world of your very own. Neither of you could bear the notion of being alone with your thoughts, so you two spent most of the night hours exchanging stories of the past and making conversation.

"Obviously, Overwatch valued their hotshot pilot more than the ' _Young Gunner_ '. That's why they gave me a room on the floor above yours," she said as she motioned all around to direct your attention to the rest of her room. She must have arrived at Gibraltar earlier than you, because her room was personalized with old posters, trinkets, and pilot paraphernalia. One item that stuck out to you was a rather large Union Jack that donned the ceiling above the mezzanine. It matched the over-sized night shirt she was currently wearing.

"I don't believe that for a second, Lena," you said as you rolled on your side to get a better view of the brunette beauty. You secretly believed the Brit.

She rolled on her side to match your gaze. "What's that? Is that jealousy I hear?" She asked with a grin starting to develop on her lips. She rolled over and crawled toward you slowly, "You're jealous, aren't you, love?"

Her approach was agonizingly slow, but steady. You could feel the tension rise as she drew closer. Her grin had transformed into a knowing smile, as if she knew what was going on in your mind – that being your jealousy and lust.

Doing your best to defend yourself, you calmly began your retreat without breaking eye contact with her. The plan was going well until you reached the edge of the bed; you had nowhere to run. She had you pinned.

Her smile returned as her face drew nearer to yours, and she closed her eyes. Again, her approach was painstakingly slow. You could feel her exhale on the tip of your lips as her breaths became deeper and deeper. You closed your eyes, patiently waiting.

This. Was. It.

Just as your lips were about to collide with hers, the brunette opened her eyes and blurted out along with a cackle of laughter," In… Your… FACE! Get it? Because you're jealous and I am literally in your face."

The Brit was tickled pink by her own word play. Tears began to well up in her eyes from laughter.

You rolled your eyes and shoved her away. "That had to be your lamest joke yet."

"I cannot believe you walked into that one, love," Lena said wiping tears away from her eyes. "Oh, don't throw a paddy," she added as she saw your eyes roll once more. "It was obvious that I was teasing you. What'd you think? I'd just plop one on you after ' _one-upping_ ' you?" Another fucking pun about her room being above yours.

"You were very convincing. And quit it with the god damn puns, Oxton," you say rolling back over on your side, away from the brunette.

She returned to her position on the bed. "Back to that again, are we, (Your Last Name)?"

You put one arm behind your head, opening back up to the Brit. "Don't try to shrug it off. You're diabolical, you know that?"

"It's just fun to tease you, love. I can't help it that you make it easy on me," she said as she batted her eyelashes. "Now get up already, you promised to give me a second chance at a race. One time around the dorm."

"It's almost two. I am going to bed. _For real_ this time. You're more than welcomed to stay up if you'd like." you said with a slight twinge of annoyance in your voice. It was obvious that her teasing had gone too far for you.

"Boo, what a bore. Suit yourself, love," she said bouncing off the bed, chipper as ever. She made her way down the spiral stairs and exited the dorm into the night.

Even though you had been shut down, you instantly regretted shrugging Lena off as you felt her weight leave the bed. Her familiar smell began to fade as the minutes past. It had been a while since you fell asleep was now just you and the silence again, and any company was better than silence.

Hopefully she would come back soon.

* * *

 **Lena's POV**

It had been yonks since I had been alone with my thoughts – well only a few days – but it was still frightening. The entire situation had not settled in yet, and I spent most of my time with (Your Name) in order to distract myself from the whole thing. But I couldn't distract myself out here.

I made my way through the catwalks to a scenic view on a ledge hanging over the ocean. Although most of Gibraltar's beauty was hidden by the shade of night, I could still appreciate the little amount of beauty the moonlight revealed.

Oh, but the silence. That was the worst part of being alone in this new world that I shared with (Your Name). I have prided myself my entire life on being the most social and outgoing person in the room, but now my talents were going to waste. Don't get me wrong, (Your Name) was great company and we had gotten a lot closer over the past week or so, but not being able to talk to the majority lot of people that I saw was agonizing. So, like any sane person, I made conversation with myself.

"Oh, what a bee-yootiful night it is. Ain't it?" I said directed to nobody in particular.

Then a light came on in a building one story above me. It was the middle of the bloody night, who in my world could be up at this hour? Being the inquisitive person I am, I took it upon myself to investigate the perp that was ruining my _alone_ time.

It took me nearly half an hour to find my way up to the damn room, but I made it. This was some kind of laboratory from the looks of it.

' _I bet it's some overworked gaffer that cannot sleep. No wait… I bet it's some super-secret research project that cannot be revealed during normal hours.'_

It was Winston, still hard at work on the Slipstream mystery. He looked like he had not slept since the event. My heart ached for the bloke. Sure, it was his fault that me and (Your Name) were lost forever, and sure, it was because of him that I probably would never see London again. Still, I did not want all of this to haunt the poor guy. I am a friendly ghost.

"Don't be too hard on yourself, big guy," I said fully knowing he would not be able to answer.

To my surprise, Winston's eyes started to dart back and forth. Surely, he hadn't heard me, it must have been the wind. (Your Name) and I spent hours in the mess hall trying to get the attention of anyone and everyone. No way he could hear me now.

The gorilla continued to look around; perplexed he asked, "Hello? Is anybody there?"

As if on que, I felt a weird sensation in my hand. I looked down at it and noticed that they were becoming slightly more transparent.

Of course, I panicked. I thought I was becoming a literal ghost.

Winston must have heard the commotion I was making as he looked in my direction with eyes as wide as the full moon illuminating Gibraltar. He could see me.

"Lena! Lena, what on Earth has happened to you? Where have you been? Where is (Your Name)?"

Before I could answer him, I felt myself fade back into my own little world again. My person was fully opaque once more.

"Lena? Lena?! Are you still here?"

"I'm right over here, big guy!" I yelled at the top of my lungs. There was a glimmer of hope for me. Oh, and for (Your Name).

I began to slowly phase back into his view, and then it hit him. "Of course, it all makes sense now. The logs indicated that the Slipstream successfully made the time-jump, but it seems that you have been desynchronized with our timeline. That's the only explanation for this."

"I concur," I said in my best professional voice, trying to make it seem like I had a clue of what he was talking about.

I couldn't hold it in any longer. "Please Winston, help me out of here. Please tell me there is something you can do." I said breaking down.

"I… I think so," the gorilla said with a hint of hope in his voice. "But you must go get (Your Name) at once and bring him here with you. You both need to be around a laboratory setting at all times, in case your molecules synchronize with our time again as they are now. I'll need to find some way to anchor you to the present."

On that note, I went into a full sprint towards the dorm to find (Your Name). How do I get out of this bloody laboratory building again?

As I passed out through the door that I thought would lead me to the dorm, I heard the big guy yell out to me, "Don't worry Lena, the worst is over. I am going to bring you back."

With a second-wind, the gorilla scientist went back to work. For the first time in over a week, he was hopeful.

* * *

 **Notes:**

Yes, I am aware that all the science behind this chapter does not line up. However, this is a fiction. Let's use our imaginations.

I am thinking of stealing another page from "Keep Calm and Tracer On" and using some chapters to fit in short one-shots of the reader and Lena that do not necessarily fit in with the story. Of course, the shorts will have to wait until the relationship between the reader and Lena develops more.

What do you guys think?


	3. Chapter 3: Acceleration

**Chapter 3: Acceleration**

 **Review Comments:**

Starkiller: Yes! I plan on doing Lena POVs in the future (possibly other major characters as well).

Sam C: I think a major problem with fanfics is that they are very predictable, and most of them are overly positive. I will try to keep this story as unpredictable as possible. Although I may not take the route you suggested, you can suspect that this story will _NOT_ be all unicorns and rainbows.

* * *

The bedroom was quiet without the Brit. Although you used to require complete silence to sleep well, you had grown accustomed to Lena's restlessness. She would rarely fall asleep before you, and she commonly fidgeted for over an hour before finding rest. Some nights she would even wake you up just to make sure you knew that _she_ could not sleep.

 **A few nights prior…**

" _(Your Name)… (Your Name) wake up. (Your Name)," Lena said as she shook you, jolting you from slumber._

 _Your eyelids were extraordinarily heavy, but you fought the urge to close them again because the girl in bed beside you seemed distraught. You took a deep breath and rubbed one of your eyes with the bottom of your palm._

 _With a low, husky voice you asked, "Hm?... Everything okay?"_

" _I can't sleep, love. I don't know why because I am exhausted," she said while using her elbow to prop herself up._

 _She looked down on you innocently and smiled. Her hair, which was more disheveled than usual, was evidence that she was indeed having trouble sleeping... again._

 _Your stared at her with half-opened eyes; her eyes were the opposite, large and radiant. Even in the dark you could clearly make out the soft structures on her face. As much as you wanted to be angry with the brunette, there was something about the way she looked down at you that put you at ease. Any other person, given the same situation, would have regretted waking you up for such a pointless purpose. However, since the hands and voice that awoke you belonged to Lena Oxton, you approached the matter more delicately._

 _You attempted to stifle a rather large yawn and asked, "I am sorry… anything I can do?"_

" _Well since you're awake, let's play a game of truth or dare."_

 _Your eyes shifted from side to side in confusion, "How in the world is that supposed to help you sleep?"_

" _I suppose that you will either entertain me with dares or put me to sleep with truths," Lena said through a tired smile. "So… You first, truth or dare?"_

 _Begrudgingly, you said, "I want to go back to sleep as soon as possible so… Truth."_

 _She turned her eyes to the Union Jack hung on the ceiling, pondering. Her face lit up as she once again locked eyes with you and asked, "What is the most expensive thing you have ever stolen, love?"_

 _The Brit's question took you aback, "What? I haven't stolen anything in my life."_

 _Lena yawned far too obnoxiously for it to be earnest, "Wow, it seems the game is going according to plan. How plain, (Your Name)."_

 _You propped yourself up with your elbow to meet her at eye level, "Well what is the most expensive thing_ _ **you**_ _have ever stolen, Lena? Have I been sleeping next to a common thief?"_

" _That's not how the game works. You have to ask whether I want a truth or dare."_

" _Fine… Truth or dare?"_

" _Dare."_

" _No, I want to know the answer to my question," you said as you nudged her shoulder with a smile, not breaking eye contact whilst doing so. Your eyes were fully open at that point._

" _Dare."_

" _You're the worst."_

" _Dare."_

" _Okay, I dare you to go to sleep."_

 **Present time…**

You quietly smirked to yourself, reminiscing of your nights with Lena. Although you would never admit it to her, you enjoyed her nightly episodes.

The door to the apartment opened audibly, and you were momentarily shocked before deducing that the sound must be signifying Lena's return. You quickly rolled over on your side away from the stairway leading from the living room to the bedroom to act like you were asleep. She would indubitably wake you up to talk, so might as well have a little fun with her. You couldn't resist a slight smile creeping on your lips as you heard the brunette scurrying up the staircase.

"(Your Name)! (Your Name) get up," Lena blurted out through gasps. She had obviously been running, but you had no clue as to why.

Feigning a sleepy façade, you sat up slowly and looked her with one eye barely open. You breathed deeply and whispered out, "This better be good."

The brunette was still visibly struggling to catch her breath, "Winston… He…" She took a moment to recompose herself, "Winston saw me. I spoke to him. He said we need to go to the laboratory immediately for further study."

The circumstance seemed odd, and you expected foul play. This could have been another one of Lena's stupid jokes. Besides, this seemed too good to be true. After all, you and Lena had spent hours trying to get _anyone_ to notice you.

Your voice full of doubt, you asked, "Are you… Are you certain?"

"I am fucking positive, (Your Name)," she said dryly. The Brit had a certain sternness to her voice that was not native to her. Either she was telling the truth, or she was very dedicated to some sick joke.

You decided to give Lena the benefit of the doubt and threw the sheets off you in a hurry, exposing your half naked body for a brief moment before you rushed to grab your night shirt from Lena's walk-in closet. Because you spent so much time in Lena's apartment, the two of you decided it was best to split the closet space; however, the closet space was split heavily in her favor.

"I swear I will kill you if this is some kind of joke, Oxton."

She brushed past you and walked down the stairs. "This is no time for standing around. Hurry up, (Your Name)," she said from the bottom step.

Unsure of what to expect, you put your faith in Lena and followed her out of the dorm.

* * *

 **Laboratory Study: Day 3, 18:19**

Your faith in Lena was rewarded for once; you initially doubted the veracity of her story, but Winston was able to confirm everything after the two of you reached the lab, which took much longer to find than you expected considering the Brit had come from the location. She wasn't very good with directions, and her spatial awareness outside of cockpit was lackluster at best. _Luckily_ , you were able to navigate with brute force by checking all possible routes suggested by her.

It had been three days since then, and you found yourselves in a circular room surrounded by glass. On one semicircle, the glass overlooked the Bay of Gibraltar, and on the other, the glass served as an observation window for a large team of scientist. The bay was blue and beautiful at night, but the observation glass seemed rather pointless as you and Lena were still desynchronized from the present. The two of you were visible to the team only at small intervals, usually hours or days in between. However, the room was fitted with sensors that could pick up signals that indicated when the two of you were about to appear.

Above the glass, there were cables and visible wiring that ran around the entire circumference on the circle. The wires carried a large current through them, and the circular pattern was used to create an electromagnetic field within the room that, in theory, was meant to alleviate your condition and make your trips to the present more frequent. The doctors called your condition "Chronal Dissociation," but the name seemed to be the only progress they had made thus far.

The science team was kind enough to place two separate beds and a small couch in the room. The furniture was nice, but it was subpar compared to the amenities you and Lena shared in her apartment that past week.

Aside from the glass, the cabling, and the furniture, there wasn't much to your new world. Despite being on the right track toward the present, the two of you felt more isolated than ever.

"We should have stayed in the apartment," the usually bubbly Brit said with a hint of regret in her throat. She sat completely still on her bed, looking out at the Bay of Gibraltar. The sun was on its final descent into the water on the horizon, and its afterglow through a perfect shade of orange over her hazel eyes. The light did not seem to bother her.

"Nonsense, this was the right move. I do miss the bed though," you said looking in her direction as you sat on your uncomfortable mattress.

Lena did not look away from the bay, but she graced you with a subtle smile. "You just miss being able to lay next to me," she teased.

You couldn't help but smile too. "More nonsense. Where do you come up with these things?"

"I just call it how I see it I suppose. You're easy to read, love," she said as she finally looked away from the window to match your gaze. "These beds are small, but you could always come join me if you're feeling lonely," she giggled out playfully.

Rolling your eyes, you said, "I will be sure to keep that mind. After all it does get a little dark in here."

Lena gave you a disapproving look. It was obvious that you were making fun of the Brit's fear of the dark. She had confided in you a few nights after the Slipstream incident that she was deathly afraid of darkness.

"Ha-ha. Very funny, (Your Name). I should have never told you that."

"Don't be like that, we all have our idiosyncrasies."

She raised her eyebrow with interest, "What's yours then?"

"You're going to have to get me drunk if you want to find out." You kicked your feet up and laid on the bed with both of your arms behind your head. "Now is not the time nor place."

"Now we're talking," she said as she mimicked your actions. "First round is on me once we bloody get out of this joint."

* * *

 **Laboratory Study: Day 67, 14:04**

Lena had lost it.

You thought she was in bad shape after the second week, but now she had gone completely off the deep end. Who could blame her though? Spending over two months in a 500-square foot space had a certain disconcerting effect on a person.

Neither of you were in a normal state of mind, but she was obviously much worse off than you were. The Brit was used to running around out in the open while talking and interacting with everyone and everything in sight. The lack of outside interaction, in tandem with the confinement cell you two were locked in, had thrown her out of homeostasis, and now she was slowly beating her head against the glass window that peered into the observation room. Besides the unruly hair and the bags under her eyes, Lena looked as stunning as ever; you couldn't help but notice even in your discombobulated state.

You sat up in your bed. "Lena… Lena stop."

"Stop what?" The brunette continued to beat her head on the glass while not looking away from the window opposite of her.

You pointed at the window behind her and said, "The head banging. You're going to give yourself a nasty headache."

"What's the point, (Your Name)?"

Lena's words perplexed you. She had a point; what was the point? Sure, that was a wild conclusion that was unsupported by any evidence, but what was the point? You took a moment to ponder her question.

You then thought to yourself, _'Wait, no. This is absurd.'_

You realized the absurdity of her statement, and you were beginning to lose your mind as she was. You refused to let the girl drag your mental state down into oblivion along with hers. You got up from your bed and physically moved her away from the wall.

"The point is you're going insane, and you're driving me there with you."

" _You're_ driving _me_ insane," she countered.

Puzzled, you scrunched your face and asked, "What? What did I do?"

"God… always has to be about you, doesn't it?"

Utterly confused at this point you stood up from your bed. "Lena, what in the hell are you talking about? Get a hold of yourself before we both lose it."

Lena stood up to match your elevation, but she was at least a head shorter than you still. She put her hands on her hips and gave you a stern look. " _Oh_ so it's _my_ fault?"

"I usually put these things as nicely as possible, but I am just going to say it. This is one-hundred percent, definitely your fault. Get a hold of yourself, Oxton."

"You're such a wanker sometimes, (Your Name). If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be going insane. I'd rather be locked in this cell alone in all honestly."

Your arms sank to your sides, and you put on a fake frown, feigning sadness. You took a short step toward Lena. "You don't mean that."

She took her hands off her hips and crossed her arms. "I do."

"I know you don't mean that," you said as you slowly advanced on her.

As much as she wanted to hide it, she couldn't help but crack a half smile. She tried to maintain her anger. "Don't you _fucking_ dare, (Your Name)."

Her smile was contagious. "Take it back. Take it back, Lena," you whispered with a husky voice. You extended your arms out like a bear ready to attack its prey. Due to the shape of the round room, you were not able to corner Lena. However, you were larger and faster. She had nowhere to run.

"If you _fucking_ tickle me again, I will scream rape."

"No one will hear you, my sweet," you said in the creepiest voice you could muster.

"I will claw your eyes – ahh."

You cut the brunette off mid-sentence by tackling the girl into the mattress behind her. She kicked and screamed to no avail as you lifted her arms above her head with your knees. She did her best to resist, but you were much stronger than she was.

"Take it back, Lena."

"No bloody chance in h –"

Before her defiant words could exit her mouth, you used both hands to tickle the Brit's underarms. The scowl that plagued her face was replaced by forced laughter and tears. The old, laughing Lena was back. You had almost forgotten what it was like to hear the delightfulness her joy and to see the brilliance of her smile.

Even though you were the tickling perpetrator, you also laughed full-heartedly. "Take it back!"

She struggled through laughter, but she finally fought it down long enough to respond. "OKAY!... I… take it back! You're not a wanker!"

"Promise?"

"I swear on my mum's grave now _get off_!"

You accepted her surrender and laid down on the bed beside her, facing the daylight. You looked down at the defeated brunette and rustled her hair, earning an exasperated look from her. It had been weeks since the two of you had played around with each other, and you missed the light-hearted interaction.

From the look on her face, you could assume that she had missed it as well.

* * *

 **Laboratory Study: Day 141, 2:36**

Winston barged into the cell, waking both you and Lena. The gorilla scientist held two devices in his hands. They shared the likeness of the Slipstream's drive core, but they were much smaller and had straps that you guessed might attach to someone's chest. The devices glowed different hues, one red and one blue, and they both appeared to give off static discharges at regular intervals.

"Sorry to drop in at such a late hour, but I think we have finally done it. This might be the answer," Winston gleamed with pride.

Though you were both sleep deprived, the two of you shot up from your respective beds to stand to attention.

The gorilla lifted the two devices above his waist and said, "We call these two apparatuses, _Chronal Accelerators_. In theory, the accelerators should give you two control over your own time."

Winston coughed into his shoulder and continued, "Now I cannot see the two of you, so you must strap these to your person on your own. The accelerators will bind to you at a molecular level and bring you back to the present. I must warn you, the initial sensation will not be pleasant. Keep in mind that your molecules will anchor in time one-by-one, and it will most likely feel like an electric shock. Neither of you will be harmed, but I must leave the room so that I am not caught in the inevitable overload. See you on the other side."

Winston dropped the two accelerators a few feet away from the exit of the containment cell and made his way to the observation room.

You and Lena were speechless. You both had been waiting for this moment for months, but now it was difficult to process that the end was nigh. Lena slowly crept off her bed toward the two devices, and you followed her lead.

"Well, ladies first," you said as you followed the Brit.

She turned over her shoulder to give you a disapproving scowl. "You must be joking. We are in this together, (Your Name)."

Sweating lightly, you walked ahead of her and picked up both accelerators, and you quickly handing her the one that glowed a red hue. She gave you a concerned look, but she quickly recovered enough to flash her smirk at you.

You matched her smirk and looked back toward your accelerator, then you positioned your head between the straps.

"Ready for this, Lena?"

"Wait…"

"What is it?"

She sheepishly put one hand behind your head and looked at the floor, "I sort of want the blue one…"

Rolling your eyes, you accepted the Brit's trade. "You're impossible sometimes, you know that?"

Lena beamed with delight. "Okay! Now I am ready."

You rattled your brain for a clever line, but only came up with something cheesy. "Well, see you in a second."

Your response earned a sigh from the brunette. "You just had to say something, didn't you?"

In unison, the two of you strapped the accelerators to your chests, and the room filled with a bright explosion of red and blue that fused into a magenta supernova. You couldn't hear Lena, but you imagined she was also experiencing the excruciating pain that overcame you. It was as if your body was being torn apart and reassembled piece by piece. The screams never left your throat, no matter how hard you pushed them out.

After what seemed like an eternity of suffering, the light dimmed and you found yourself face down on the floor. Looking up, you were able to make out the silhouettes of men walking toward you. However, the light's blinding effect persisted, and you were only able to see the shadows they casted.

Dazed by the explosion, you and Lena tried to crawl away from the shadows, but they were much too quick and you were surrounded by walls.

Despite your temporary blindness, you were able to see a large, hairy hand extended out to you, attempting to help you to your feet.

A deep, nasally voice boomed with excitement. "Lena. (Your Name). Welcome back."

* * *

 **Notes:**

I am sorry that it took me so long to get this chapter out, but I have been busy with tests and interviews for MBA admission. I got in!

Regarding the story, I am not sure how long this will be. I have a clear end goal in sight, but I am not sure what route I will take to get there. I want to keep the pacing slow so that the story's ending will feel rewarding. If I had to guess, I think this story will end up being around ~15-20 chapters. Until next time!


	4. Chapter 4: Chronal Vertigo

**Chapter 4: Chronal Vertigo**

 **Review Comments:**

Bolondka: I made the decision to use a time skip because I figured that most of the readers would not want to gruel through several chapters of lab study. There is only so much development you can have between two isolated characters, so I decided it was best to give a few "one shots" of your time with Lena. On the second comment, I made a note in a previous chapter that not all of the science would line up when chronal dissociation was a central topic point. In storytelling, it is not uncommon that writers use a literary device that may fall out of the scope of realism. I am sorry that I could not come up with a more realistic version of chronal dissociation, but I hope that you can suspend your disbelieve and that it will not deter your immersion. 

* * *

The magenta supernova caused by the overload continued to hinder your vision, but you began to regain your bearings. Although you were still dazed from the explosion, you managed to reach out toward the hand that you could only assume belonged to Winston. In the first time in nearly 5 months, you felt the touch of a sentient being other than Lena Oxton.

The thought crossed your mind, and immediately you remembered the brunette and worried. You looked directly to your left and saw Lena on her knees, leaning on a doctor with short blonde hair that barely reached her shoulders. Despite the short length, the doctor's hair partially covered one of her eyes that were sharply traced in black liner. She wore a blue lab coat similar to the other members of the science team, but she had a red band wrapped around her left arm which, you assumed, signified that she was a part of the leadership.

The doctor looked down on her with the softest pair of blue eyes that you had ever seen. She swept one arm behind the brunette's back, bringing her in close. She had already ensured that Lena's vitals were strong, and now she was comforting her physically and emotionally.

"I've got you," the doctor said in a distinctive Swiss German accent.

Lena's amber brown eyes met with the doctor's pale blue orbs. The shock was prevalent on the pilot's face, and she was still taken aback by the fact that she could once again be seen and touched by anyone other than you.

Lena could not maintain eye contact with the Swiss doctor. "I… I'm sorry it's just a lot to process, doc," she stammered as she began to use the blonde as a prop to pull herself off the floor. The doctor took the hint and stood up to better assist Lena off the ground; fully erect, she was significantly taller than the Brit.

The doctor motioned to the bed on the opposite side of the room, "Take a moment to relax and process. Nothing need be rushed." The blonde had a smile that rivaled Lena's, but hers was more comforting than alluring, in your opinion. Although she could not have been more than a few years older than you or Lena, she gave off a motherly aura. Indeed, she was beautiful, but her beauty was overshadowed by her maternal nature.

Lena followed the doctor's order, and you slowly followed Lena's lead. Once on the bed, the two of you shared a moment of eye contact before directing your attention back to the doctor.

The doctor delicately extended her hand in your direction; you quickly, but carefully, took her invitation. "Hello there. My name is Angela Ziegler, and I am Overwatch's head of medical research. I have been observing the two of you from behind the glass for months now."

You let out a soft chuckle that came out as more of a forced exhale. "Observing ghosts must have been riveting. I think I would have thrown in the towel after a week," you commented with heavy sarcasm.

"You'd be surprised," she countered with a raise of her perfectly plucked eyebrow. "We were able to learn a lot about your condition during the brief glimpses we caught of you two ' _ghosts_ '."

Both you and Lena knew very little of the condition, and Angela knew any attempt of an in-depth explanation would be beyond your comprehension. She had to keep her synopsis simple.

The Swiss doctor directed her eyes to the ceiling, trying to think of the best way to convey her thoughts to the two of you. "As you know, the Slipstream malfunction desynchronized your molecules from our timeline. To make matters even more difficult, your molecules were also desynchronized from each other; some of your molecules were at different points in the past, and some were at different points in the future. Through our observations, we were able to pinpoint an 'average' timeline of your molecules."

"With that average, we determined the amount of power needed in the Chronal Accelerators to anchor the two of you in time. We also determined how to concentrate that power to align your molecules in to the correct 'time stamp.' Now here we are," the gorilla scientist commented as he joined the three of you near the bed.

Neither you nor Lena had words for the two geniuses that stood before you. Although the two of you did not fully understand chronal dissociation, you had an idea of how much work was required to reverse the condition. The two of you watched the science team for months, and their dedication to remedying the condition was unparalleled.

Winston coughed into his right elbow, clearing his throat. "However, it is not all butterflies and rainbows. Unfortunately, your molecules will never be truly synchronized again on their own, which means that the two of you will rely on the Chronal Accelerators from now to the end."

Feeling the tension caused by the gorilla's news, Angela did her best to restore a sense of hope in the room. "You will not have to keep them on your person at all times. Now that the Chronal Accelerators are synced to you, you should be able to take them off, given that you stay within a reasonable 5 to 10-meter radius of your own device."

Lena perked up upon hearing the doctor's words. "Great because this thing is bloody heavy, and it's killing my back," she said as her hands fiddled with the straps that were digging into her spine. After several moments of repositioning and fumbling, the accelerator fell from her chest onto the metal floor with a clunk.

You looked at her in shock, and a pit developed in your stomach as you feared for the girl's safety. "Careful, Oxton. You want to go back into the ether?"

Winston and Angela chuckled in unison at the display. "Don't worry (Your Name), the accelerators were made to withstand much more than that. They can even stop a speeding bullet," Angela commented with a slight curl on her lips.

Meant to stop a speeding bullet. You pondered the doctor's words for a moment. Why would the science team dedicate resources into making the devices so well protected? Unless…

"I am assuming that this is not our final chapter at Overwatch," you said as you turned to face the two scientists before you.

The conclusion was lost on Lena. "What? Why do you say that, (Your Name)?"

"Why else would they over-fortify the Chronal Accelerators? They intend to bring us on as field agents."

Lena scrunched her face in thought and turned away from you toward the scientists, looking for an answer. You could not determine whether or not she wanted your assumption to be true or false. Honestly, you could not even tell what you wanted the answer to be.

The question caught both Angela and Winston off guard. Their usual confidence deflated from them, and their eyes had trouble settling on a target. Angela's milk skin developed a slight hue of pink, and Winston took a moment to take off his glasses and rub his eyes.

The gorilla placed his undersized spectacles back onto his face and said, "Astute observation, (Your Name). Be sure to thank Dr. Ziegler for the clue. Yes, that is Overwatch's intention. Angela and I both voiced our opposition, but upper leadership calls the shots, not the research division."

You looked down at your hands, and then you looked over to Lena. The brunette's expression had not changed since you last laid eyes on her; she was still very deep in thought. Perhaps she was attempting to determine how to react to the revelation.

Lena stood from the bed and picked up her accelerator by the strap. Although she was unsure of the future, she did her best to maintain her usual persona. "Well, where do we go from here?"

"Well first we will all get some much-needed rest, but be prepared for a physical once you wake. Immediately after Dr. Ziegler conducts a thorough medical examination on the two of you, you are to report to the War Room, room 700 in the command center, to brief with leadership," the gorilla scientist answered with a sigh. "It is worth mentioning that the primary reason that the leadership is transitioning you to the field is that your Chronal Accelerators enable the both of you to control your own time locally. By that I mean either of you can speed up or slow down your own time at will, similar to the Slipstream. Of course, it will take training to master the technique, but that will be addressed at a later time."

Winston's final comments puzzled you and Lena, but he began walking out of the chamber before you could ask a question. Noticing the expression present on both of your faces, Angela stepped forward.

"Do not worry, everything will be explained soon. Get some rest. Once you wake, we will get started on the examination, hmm?" 

* * *

Angela was thorough in her examinations. She checked physical trauma, psychological state, and everything in between. The tests took multiple hours to complete, and you wanted to be anywhere else other than a laboratory.

The Swiss doctor wiped her hands against each other before crossing her arms. "All done, and it's only 18:00. The two of you may proceed to the command center. Strike Commander Morrison, Captain Amari, and Blackwatch Commander Reyes await you," she said before sighing in relief. After all, she had been working diligently for several hours.

"Thanks, doc. See you around," Lena said as she grabbed your hand and sprung off the table, brining you along for the ride. Even after spending an ungodly amount of time on a lab table, Lena was lively as ever. So lively in fact, she dragged you out of the lab before you could give a word of thanks to the Swede.

You snatched your hand away from the young pilot. "Jesus fuck, Lena. You almost tore my arm off. After all that time we spent in there you couldn't give me an extra second to thank her?" You rubbed and rotated your shoulder, milking the injury like a football player.

The brunette's stare burned through your eye sockets. She gave you a frown and a vigorous, nasal exhale that matched her impatient body language. "I couldn't take one more _fucking_ second in that room. Who does she think she is? Holding us there for hours asking as useless tidbits of information?" Lena folded her hands on top of each other and held them up to her chin, mimicking Angela. "On a scale of 1-10, how is your pain? On a scale of 1-10, how fatigued are you? On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate my rack, (Your Name)?" You had to admit, Lena had an excellent Swiss German impersonation.

Although you had a smirk on your face, you thought Lena was going a little over the top. "Oh settle down with the jealousy, Lena. Don't you think you're overreacting a tad? We are out. It's done. Let's go," you grabbed her by the arm and pulled her out onto the exposed catwalk in the same manner she tugged you out of the laboratory.

You were not prepared for the brisk wind that welcomed you outside of the research building. The warm weather of summer had been replaced by the shockingly chill air of the bleak midwinter. The sudden thermal transition caused you to reel back and physically hold yourself in a tight hug to maintain body heat.

"I thought we were in Gibraltar," you said through chattering teeth. You looked up at the grey sky that covered the ever-radiant Gibraltar sun. "Are you sure we came back to the right timeline?"

The Brit nudged close to you in a desperate attempt to hide herself from the uninviting wind. "Being from London and all, I am used to the grey, but this cold is throwing me off, love," Lena said as she crept closer to you. You wrapped one arm around her shoulder, which began a mutualistic relationship of heat transfer. Perhaps even Gibraltar had inclement weather.

Perhaps you needed an excuse to touch each other.

With the help of Athena, you and Lena navigated to the command center through the catwalks with great haste, eager to escape the chill. Finally, the two of you arrived in front of a large circular building that appeared more like a space ship than it did a command hub. Unlike every other building on the military campus, the command center did not uphold the archetypal Overwatch color scheme. Instead, the building incorporated a white carbon fiber frame that outline large sections of heavy black steel, leaving very little room for windows. Although the building was not the most beautiful in Gibraltar, there was no doubt that it was the most fortified.

You and Lena entered the command center and followed the instructions of directories to room 700. The room made up the entirety of the top floor of the command center. The ceiling overhead was made of entirely glass, but a carbon fiber shield stood ready to cover the weak point at a moment's notice. Normally, the glass would provide a beautiful view of the setting sun, but that picture was replaced by a soft drizzle of rain that had just begun. Echoes of water droplets filled the confines of the War Room, only to be drowned by the sound of the Slipstream team's footsteps.

Captain Ana Amari acknowledged your presence first. "Well if it isn't our dynamic duo, back from the clutches of time. How are you feeling?" The Egyptian broke away from the two other officers and made her way toward you and Lena. As usual, she was wearing her blue officer uniform, but she was not wearing her beret. Instead, her hair was free flowing, and it covered most of her right eye, which accentuated the tattoo under her left one.

Both Gabriel and Jack redirected their attention away from the image that was project on the meeting table, which the room was centered around. Although they were both internally relieved to see you and Lena, they did not let their true emotions leak through their stoic personas.

Lena walked ahead toward Ana with a clearly exasperated expression and said, "Actually, I am pretty brassed off, Capt. We have been held against our will by one _Angela Ziegler_ for the past… I don't know… million hours?" Before the others could respond, Lena pointed down to her Chronal Accelerator. "And this bloody doohickey is a real…"

You stepped in and grabbed Lena by the side before she could finish her sentence.

All three officers had different reactions to Lena's outburst. Ana reacted with a sideways frown, indicating that she had sympathy for the Brit. Gabriel could not help but giggle at her ridiculous venting, and Jack managed to maintain an air of professionalism.

"We understand your anger, we expected it, but we are happy that the project was a success," Ana said as she approached you and Lena, a smile once again returning to her face.

Lena broke away from your grip. "Yeah, yeah. We get it already. The jig is up; (Your Name) figured it out. You didn't bring us back from _the clutches of time_ to save us, you did it to use us."

Your eyes widened and you grabbed the Brit once again, "Lena!"

Ana was taken aback by her words, despite their veracity.

Gabriel's smirk vanished and he furrowed his brow. "Tap the breaks, kid. We brought you back because you're an Overwatch agent. We do not leave our kind behind," he said pushing away from the command table. "Let me say it again, _you're an_ _ **Overwatch**_ _ **agent**_. We are not using you, we are returning you back to duty, new and improved."

The smugness of Gabriel's remark scratched at your sides. "What in the hell is that supposed to mean? _New and improved_. Is that some kind of joke?" You stepped up and matched the Blackwatch commander eye for eye, brow for brow, snarl for snarl.

Jack stepped between you and Gabriel, forcing his fellow officer back toward the command table. "Now is not the time for a dick measuring competition."

Gabriel turned back toward the projected image on the table. "No doubt who would win that."

"Your edginess isn't hiding your insecurity too well," you spat over Jack's shoulder.

Jack shoved you back toward Lena. "May I remind you that he is your XO." He gave a darting stare back at the Blackwatch commander. "You answer to him, despite his childish antics."

Ana walked up to you from behind and put a hand on your shoulder. "Let it be. We must discuss your new roles."

You looked down and exhaled deeply, venting your rage. You then shifted your attention over your shoulder, making eye contact with the Egyptian. "Well then, let's discuss."

You motioned to Lena, beckoning her to follow you to the opposite side of the center table so that you could take a seat.

Jack walked to the head of the table and flipped a switch underneath. The projected image faded into nothingness, leaving an empty, silver tabletop behind. He put both hands on the table and said, "As Commander Reyes said, you two are Overwatch agents, and we intend on keeping things that way. We invested a vast amount of resources to bring you back, so we expect a high level of effort from you."

You shifted in your seat. "Hold on. The only reason we needed to be brought back was because of Overwatch. We are not indebted to you."

Jack's face did not budge. "You're right, but need I remind you that you're a soldier? You swore to serve. You took an oath the moment you set foot in Gibraltar. You have not yet been relieved of your duty."

Gaining confidence vicariously through you, Lena added, "We are pilots. We never swore to serve as field agents. (Your Name) and I do not have the proper training."

"That will be taken care of. Over the next few weeks, the two of you will enter a crash-course training routine. You will train with our most prolific agents, and you will learn to utilize your newfound time control abilities with Dr. Ziegler and Dr. Winston," Ana said as she took a seat beside Jack.

Reyes smirked smugly once again. "So what do you say team, are you in?" Sarcasm dripped from his voice.

Your eyes shot bullets back at the Blackwatch commander. "As if we had a choice."

Lena backed up your glare onto Gabriel and asked, "What now, _team_?"

Jack took a long sigh and looked down at the table. He was visibly annoyed by Gabriel's antagonizing. "You are to report to Training Cell 3 at 8:00 tomorrow morning. Dismissed." 

* * *

You arrived back to your dorm alone at 21:00, eager to sleep in a real bed for the first time in months. During your time in the laboratory cell, you had forgotten the near perfect amenities that graced your apartment, but you had not forgotten the heavenly bed.

After completing your nightly routine, you crawled under your sheets and sighed. Even though the mattress was leagues ahead of the cot you had been given in the lab chamber, you felt that something was missing. It had been months since you had been separated from the bubbly Brit, and you could not recall the last time you had slept alone. It was irrational, but you found yourself wishing that you were still stuck in time with Lena. You longed for the world that you shared in solitude.

Suddenly, a bright red light began flashing periodically from your wrist device that you placed on the night stand beside your bed, indicating that Athena had a message. Although you were exhausted, you prompted Athena to deliver the message. "What is it, Athena?"

"Mr. (Your Last Name), you have a visitor waiting. Lena Oxton is requesting access to your room."

The sound of her name made you perk up and jump out of bed. "Let her in," you said over your shoulder as your leaned over the mezzanine's guard rail.

The front door slid open to reveal Lena with hair as disorganized as ever. She was wearing an oversized T-shirt that sported a British rock band that had fallen out of their prime generations ago. Lena cautiously entered the apartment as the lights slowly undimmed. Her eyes darted from side to side, looking for you, but you were too well hidden.

You were so engrossed by her that you could not come up with anything to say. You decided to keep it simple and broke the silence with, "Is everything alright, Lena?"

The Brit jumped at the sound of your voice, but she was visibly relieved when she laid her eyes on you. "I… I can't sleep. It has just been so long since I've slept alone you know? Plus, it's raining heavily now, and there is thunder, and it's kinda dark, and…"

"Lena, you don't need an excuse. You're more than welcome to stay here," you said through a tired smile.

She went red and looked down at her feet before reestablishing eye contact. "I… Thank you, (Your Name)," she said with a sheepish smile before making her way up the winding staircase up to your exposed bedroom. "I'll be good, I promise."

You rolled your eyes at her statement. "Let's just get some sleep, I am exhausted."

"I am right there with you, love," the brunette said with a yawn.

You crashed face first into the mattress, and Lena followed your lead. She scurried under the Down comforter, lifting it up for you to join her, and you obliged.

Just when sleep was about to overcome you, you felt a cold foreign object touch your hand from under the sheets. It was Lena's palm. At first, you thought that she had accidentally invaded onto your side of the bed. Indeed, Lena was a "hog" when it came to bed space, but this was no accident.

Her hand lingered on yours for moments at a time, but each time she would quickly retreat away to the safety of her half of the bed. Finally, she pressed her fingers against your closed fist, begging for reciprocation.

Again, you obliged. You accepted Lena's cold grip, your warm hand provided a rigid dichotomy to her icy one. Her fingers danced around the palm of your hand before finding the ideal position to intertwine with your digits.

Everything around you slowed down, and the whole day washed away in the blink of an eye. Despite being wronged by the world for the past six months, this moment balanced the scale.

* * *

 **Notes:**

I know I am taking forever to update, but things are hectic right now. Rest assured, I plan on completing this story. However, I do not know how often I will be able to update. At a minimum, I will try to do 1 chapter every 3 weeks; hopefully I will be able to push a chapter out every other week. That's all for now, I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter and I will see you next time!


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